Red Heifer

[Num. 19:2] This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
It was required that they burn a completely red cow (heifer) and use its ashes as part of the process of purifying those individuals who became ritually impure through contact with the dead. The red heifer had to be at least 3 years old and completely red. Even two hairs of another color disqualified the red heifer. Also if the cow had put on a yoke or performed any labor, it was invalid. The cow’s ashes were divided into several parts to be preserved for future generations, another part to be used for the purification of the priest, and another part for the purification of the rest of Israel. The ashes were mixed with fresh spring water and then sprinkled on the person on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day he immersed himself in a mikvah to complete the purification process. Tradition says that in all of history there have only been 9 red heifers used. The location of the burning of the red heifer was across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives opposite the Golden Gate.
This is the ordinance of the law - an institution of a peculiar nature ordained by Law for the purification of sin, and provided at the public expense because it was for the good of the whole community.
A red heifer without spot - This is the only case in which the color of the victim is specified. It has been supposed the ordinance was designed in opposition to the superstitious notions of the Egyptians. That people never offered a vow but they sacrificed a red bull, the greatest care being taken by their priests in examining whether it possessed the requisite characteristics, and it was an annual offering to Typhoon, their evil being. By the choice, both of the sex and the color, provision was made for eradicating from the minds of the Israelites a favorite Egyptian superstition regarding two objects of their animal worship.
Red - a fit color to shadow forth the bloody nature of sin, and the blood of Messiah, from which this water and all other rites had their purifying virtue.
No blemish - a fit type of Messiah.
Upon which never came yoke - whereby may be signified, either that Messiah in himself was free from all the yoke or obligation of G-d’s command, till for our sakes he put Himself under the law, or that Messiah was not forced to undertake our burden and cross, but did voluntarily cause it. He was bound and held with no other cords but those of his own love.
Eleazar the second or deputy high priest and he was selected for this duty because the execution of it entailed temporary defilement, from which the acting high priest was to be preserved with the greatest care. To him, not to Aaron, because this service made him unclean for a season, and consequently unfit for holy ministrations, whereas the high priest was, as far as possibly he could, to be preserved from all sorts of defilement, fit for his high and holy work.
It was led "forth without the camp," in accordance with the law regarding victims laden with the sins of the people, and thus typical of Messiah (Heb. 13:12; also Lev. 24:14), who suffer without the camp, in the place where malefactors suffered. The priest was to sprinkle the blood "seven times" before--literally, "towards" or "near" the Tabernacle, a description which seems to imply either that he carried a portion of the blood in a basin to the door of the Tabernacle (Lev. 4:17), or that in the act of sprinkling he turned his face towards the sacred edifice, being disqualified through the defiling influence of this operation from approaching close to it. By this attitude he indicated that he was presenting an expiatory sacrifice, for the acceptance of which he hoped, in the grace of G-d, by looking to the mercy seat. Every part of it was consumed by fire except the blood used in sprinkling, and the ingredients mixed with the ashes were the same as those employed in the sprinkling of lepers (Lev. 14:4-7). It was a water of separation that is, of a sanctification for the people of Israel.
Eleazar took the blood with his finger and sprinkle it towards the Tabernacle, standing at a good distance from it, even without the camp, yet turning and looking towards it. For here is no intimation that he went into the camp before this work was done, but rather the contrary is implied, 19:7. And because being defiled by this work he could not come near the Tabernacle, it was sufficient for him to turn and look towards it. This signified his presenting this blood before the L-rd by way of atonement for his and the people’s sins, and his expectation of acceptance and pardon only from G-d, and His Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle. And this typified the satisfaction that was made to G-d, by the death of Messiah, who by the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to the Father, and did as it were sprinkle His own blood before the Sanctuary, when he said, Into thy hands I comment my spirit!
Burn the heifer - to signify the sharp and grievous sufferings of Messiah for our sins.
Her blood - all of it, but what was spent in sprinkling.
Cedar-wood, hyssop, scarlet - all which are here burnt, and as it were offered to G-d, that they might be sanctified to this holy use for the future; for of these kinds of things was the sprinkle made wherewith the unclean were sprinkled. (Lev. 14:4).
Water of Separation – G-d’s beautiful provision for cleansing from the defilement contracted in daily life. The cleansing efficacy of the water consisted in the ashes of a red heifer, offered as a Sin offering, with which it must be mingled. Thus it was a cleansing based upon atonement, a foreshadowing of the blood of Y’Shua, which cleanseth from all sin those who are walking in the light.
The priest shall be unclean until the even - The ceremonies prescribed show the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, while they typify the condition of Messiah when expiating our sins
(2 Cor. 5:21).
For a water - or, to the water, that is, to be put to the water, or mixed with it.
Of separation - appointed for the cleansing of them that are in a state of separation, who for their uncleanness are separated from the congregation.
It is purification - Heb. A sin, that is, an offering for sin, or rather a mean for expiation or cleansing of sin. And this was a type of that purification for sin, which our L-rd Y’Shua made by His death.
- This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation (19:9) was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family that sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily occurring, the water of separation must have been in constant requisition. To afford the necessary supply of the cleansing mixture, the Jewish writers say that a red heifer was sacrificed every year, and that the ashes, mingled with the sprinkling ingredients, were distributed through all the cities and towns of Israel.
The third day - The necessity of applying the water on the third day is inexplicable on any natural or moral ground; and, therefore, the regulation has been generally supposed to have had a typical reference to the resurrection, on that day, of Messiah, by whom His people are sanctified; while the process of ceremonial purification being extended over seven days, was intended to show that sanctification is progressive and incomplete till the arrival of the eternal Sabbath. Every one knowingly and presumptuously neglecting to have him sprinkled with this water was guilty of an offense which was punished by excommunication. This typify Y'Shua’s resurrection on that day by which we are cleaned for sanctified.
It was a command of the person who had become contaminated by touching the corpse to purify himself by a sprinkling of water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. This process was also to be done on the clothes or vessels that were in the same building of a corpse. The priest would take three hyssop roots, each branch with a single bud on it, tie them together and dip the tips in the purification water and the sprinkling was done of the third and seventh day. Then on the seventh day the person was to immerse himself in the mikvah at the end of the day mixed with the ashes of the red heifer.
The opposite effects ascribed to the water of separation - of cleansing one person and defiling another - are very singular, and not capable of very satisfactory explanation. One important lesson, however, was thus taught, that its purifying efficacy was not inherent in itself, but arose from the divine appointment, as in other ordinances of religion, which are effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that administers them, but solely through the grace of G-d communicated thereby.
Shall wash his clothes - because he is unclean. It is strange, that the same water should cleanse one person, and defile another. But G-d would have it so, to teach us that it did not cleanse by any virtue in itself, or in the work done, but only by virtue of G-d’s appointment: to mind the laws of the imperfection of their priesthood, and their ritual purification and expiations, and consequently of the necessity of a better priest and sacrifice and way of purifying; and to shew that the efficacy of G-d’s ordinances doth not depend upon the person or quality of his ministers, because the same person who, was polluted himself could and did cleanse others.
He that toucheth the water - either by sprinkling of it, or by being sprinkled with it; for even he that was cleansed by it, was not fully cleansed as soon as he was sprinkled, but only at the even of that day.
The unclean person - not he who is so only by touching the water of separation, 19:21, but he who is so by the greater sort of uncleanness, which lasted seven days, and which was not removed without the use of this water of purification.